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Power in any negotiation often hinges on the ability to walk away. When it comes to internally managing stress, this negotiation is one you have with yourself. This post talks about the unanticipated costs to consider as you build a walk away plan from stress.

One of the basic rules of negotiation is this: the ability to walk away from a negotiation is a source of power. That walk away plan is often called the Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement, or BATNA, a term coined by Roger Fischer, William Ury and Bruce Patton. Having a strong BATNA means you have options that allow you to back away from a negotiation. Thinking through your BATNA is a key tactic that can shape smart alternatives when you are at a negotiation dead end.

But what if your negotiating partner is your toughest customer yet: yourself? When it comes to managing stress at home and at work, the negotiation you have is internal. Most of the time, you can't just walk away from your job or your home life. But you can develop alternatives that help you navigate stressful situations. By developing a range of options around how you manage stress, you can take into account some of the overlooked costs that occur when you don't managing stress.

When creating a range of options, including a walk away plan around stress, consider your costs, options and priorities. A key focusing question might be:

Does the cost of the stress outweigh the outcome?

If the answer is no, it might mean that temporary stress is necessary to get to a successful outcome or payoff. If the answer is yes, the cost incurs damage and you need an alternative plan to avoid as much damage as possible. The cost of stress could be understood in at least two different ways: physiological costs and productivity costs. Here's how stress might create physiological and productivity costs:

Physiological Costs. Excessive or prolonged stress takes a real and physical toll. As Alice Walton notes, "mounting research has suggested that [stress] really does have large, and measurable, effects on the body and brain. Feeling stressed is not something we should just power through, but rather something we should actively address and try to reduce." Studies have shown that elevated stress is linked to heart disease or even seizures.

Productivity Cost. If you're expected to be highly productive, are you set up to succeed? Simple adjustments can be made to office infrastructure that can also measurably reduce stress and increase work productivity. As one tech infrastructure expert notes, a study by Ericksson found that "uploading/downloading delays led to increased heart rates and stress levels in participants; on average, single delays resulted in a heart rate increase of 38% — or the same spike we experience when watching a horror movie." Gathering information (like pricing) on items that reduce delay or known stressors can help boost productivity and minimize the costs of stress around productivity.

Does this mean that all stress should be avoided by activating your walk away plan? Probably not. Stress can be potentially good in small bursts, but the thing to keep in mind is the length of time that unmitigated stress is experienced. Generating a range of options to manage stress can happen as you develop a walk away plan, and it will ensure that critical work can continue to get done.

The best way to develop a plan around stress is to start this conversation with your boss or manager. Consider negotiating for the following work benefits:

Flexibility in location. Whether it happens intermittently or on a schedule, working remotely can actually save your company money. A study by GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com found that working remotely could save an organization $11,000 a year, while boosting employee satisfaction with work-life balance.

Floating holidays, with manager approval. This benefit is an arrangement where an employee can take one or two days off for any reason - mental health day, birthday, or just needing to be away from the office. It can increase flexibility and decrease stress to the employee while not being too expensive on the employer-side.

Employee Engagement Programs that might include physical fitness, financial management classes or even a trip to a mini golf course. Increased team engagement can help support friendship and camaraderie in the office, which can help mitigate stress and reduce the cost of excessive stress overall.